The Makaha of Yesteryear

By Jenny Quill

Published: 2010.11.22 04:27 PM

I’ve seen old condominium and hotel advertisements that trumpeted Makaha as the “new Waikiki,” and while their claims clearly didn’t pan out, it’s interesting to see Makaha through the back-then lens, when it was virgin territory with beautiful beaches, epic surf and some of the island’s best fishing (most of which still holds true). I found this ad for the Makaha Beach Cabanas apartments in a 1965 issue of Paradise of the Pacific (HONOLULU Magazine’s predecessor) and was struck by the black-and-white photographs of sun, surf and fishing, plus the rather flowery ad copy. Take, for example, this piece of phraseology: “a heady mixture of unbelievables and superlatives, and balmy tropical dreams in a land of nod.” That’s some prose. I also really liked this bit: “For even in beautiful Hawaii the tedium of everyday pressures can dull the advantages of a sunny climate.” And, of course, what’s not to love about those prices? Starting at $14,950.

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About Our Writer

Rachel Ross is a Realtor at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Hawai‘i Realty. Raised in Hawai‘i Kai, she previously worked in public relations and marketing where she assisted some of O‘ahu’s biggest community developers, educators and businesses. She loves connecting people and says that real estate is a form of matchmaking. She is mom to three teenagers and an avid runner, and notes that the hour each day of pavement-pounding is the only teen-angst-free peace and quiet she gets all day. rachelr@bhhshawaii.com